Celebrated Buddhist Scholar & Humanitarian

Widely considered one of the most influential Buddhist scholars, translators, and humanitarians in the modern Western world.

Born Jeffrey Block in Brooklyn, New York, in 1944, he has dedicated over 50 years to the monastic life, serving as a vital bridge between traditional Asian Theravada Buddhism and Western practitioners.

Bhikkhu Bodhi's greatest enduring legacy is his systematic, highly precise translation of the Pali Canon—the foundational scriptural basket of Theravada Buddhism containing the oldest recorded discourses of the Buddha. Before his work, English translations were often archaic, fragmented, or difficult to read.